


promise me nothing more

by sxndazed



Series: klaine/cc valentine's challenge 2020 [7]
Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22612309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxndazed/pseuds/sxndazed
Summary: When their hands meet, it's the start of everything.
Relationships: Chris Colfer/Darren Criss
Series: klaine/cc valentine's challenge 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620550
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	promise me nothing more

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Klaine/CC Valentine's Challenge 2020.
> 
> Prompt: "All I Want Is You" by U2

They meet on the set of a commercial.

It's for some drink ad, and they're not even the leads. They're background actors sitting in a restaurant just to fill the space and make the scene more natural.

They're seated together by chance at a table by the window off to the corner. They probably won't even be in the shot, but the director has to cover all the ground. It's a small role, and it's really not worth a lot, but it's a job. They're given a bowl of soup and then left alone to chatter away in the background.

There's a hand outstretched in front of him, and he's faced with a smile that warms him all the way down to his toes.

"Hey, man. I'm Darren."

"Chris."

When their hands meet, it's the start of everything.

***

They struggle to make ends meet.

They get small background roles on shows and movies, but it's rarely anything more than that. When Darren gets his first minor recurring role on a network show, they splurge on a bottle of champagne and sushi. It's one of the best moments that year.

When they're not out auditioning, Darren is performing in cafes and restaurants and Chris is working at the bookstore a couple blocks down from his place. They rarely go out to eat, and Chris does his best to cook, but he usually ends up at Darren's to eat his food.

It's something that happens more often, ending up at Darren's place. It becomes his safe place, and he finds himself more comfortable in his bed than his own. He slowly ends up with a drawer and his own toothbrush. Six months in, and Darren asks him to move in.

It's the easiest thing he's done.

***

Money isn't as tight as before, but they're still struggling.

They can afford a night out every few weeks and splurge on pastries from the French cafe Darren plays at on Tuesdays. Their mattress is still lying on the ground and the floor is their bedside table, but they can afford a higher thread count.

They still try to limit the amount of alcohol they keep. Chris keeps Darren away from beer, but they'll buy a bottle of red wine every now and then. They hold off on buying more cup noodles when they start to run out, and Darren takes to couponing to make sure they have a more balanced diet.

It's far from the life they wish they could have, but at least it's theirs.

***

Darren likes to make promises.

He promises Chris that they'll have a house one day, one with enough room for a cat and a dog and any other pets he wants. It'll have an office for him to write in and a studio for Darren to record in.

He promises Chris that they'll have the careers they want, a car that doesn't feel like it's going to breakdown when it goes over 70 mph on the highway, and enough money in their savings to go on vacations every now and then.

He promises proper celebrations and anniversaries that aren't spent with each of them working late shifts. He promises actually spending days off not worrying about bills and the next role that can help them get through a little easier.

He promises Chris a proper ring. A silver band with a set emerald and amethyst or whatever gems he wants. It'll fit better than the ribbon he tied around his finger when he asked for his hand, and it'll hopefully be there forever.

***

Chris reminds them that what they have is perfectly fine. He likes their shitty one-bedroom with a small kitchen and a living room that only fits so much. He wishes they could have pets, but Darren's hyperactivity is more than enough.

He reminds him that the trips they take upstate to visit Darren's family are more than enough. He reminds him that they shouldn't be speeding down the highway to begin with and that he wants more years with Darren, not less.

He reminds him that they celebrate in their own way. They get sushi when they can afford it or soup because it feels like a reminder. They have sex when they aren't too tired, and they spend more than enough time to make up for it on their days off.

He reminds him that they don't have the money for a ring, or even two because there's no way Chris is letting Darren go without one. He reminds him that the ribbon is always by his side in every moment of every day. It'll be there forever; he'll make sure of it.

Darren likes to make promises of the whole world, but he doesn't need to.

Chris doesn't need the whole world. He has it with him already.


End file.
